Blue Badge

The Blue Badge scheme helps you park nearer to your destination if you have a disability. It can take up to 10 weeks to process a Blue Badge application when we have the required documents.

Blue Badge application processing update

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, we are unable to offer any Blue Badge face to face assessments at this time.

Our assessment team will be in contact with any applicants that already have an appointment booked, and we are taking every measure to continue to assess applicants using alternative assessment methods where possible. If we need to hold your application because of this temporary freeze on appointments, we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. Please do not contact us regarding these appointments unless you receive an email from us asking you to contact us directly.

You must include certain documents with your online application, otherwise we won’t process it.

If your photos or scanned copies of documents do not meet the standards required, your application process will be delayed.

Uploading supporting documents after applying online

If you’ve already applied for a Blue Badge online and wish to upload some additional supporting documents, log into our Blue Badge Customer Portal. You’ll need your application reference number to hand, which can be found on the confirmation email you received when you submitted your application.

What to include with your online application

The following requirements apply for first-time applications and when you re-apply:

Photo

Photos need to be similar to passport pictures but don't need to be taken in a photo booth or by a professional. They can be taken with a digital camera or smartphone.

Your photo must be:

taken within the last 6 months - it must not be the same as the one on your previous Blue Badge

of you on your own

a close-up of your head and shoulders

in colour - we don't accept black and white

sharp and in focus with a clear difference between your face and the background

taken against a plain, light background

of you looking straight at the camera

showing your full head, unless you cover your head for religious or medical reasons

Proof of identity

valid photocard driving licence (the front of the photocard showing your name, address, photograph and signature) - you can’t use your driving licence as both proof of identity and proof of address

birth/adoption certificate

marriage/divorce certificate

civil partnership/dissolution certificate.

Proof of address

You must submit one of the following, datedwithin the last 12 months:

council tax bill

bank/building society statement

gas/electricity/water/telephone bill

valid photocard driving licence (copy of the front of the photocard showing your name, address, photograph and signature). You can’t use your driving licence as both proof of identity and proof of address

benefit letter (with address shown)

payslip (with address shown)

pension/HMRC/Tax Credit letter.

Proof of eligibility

If one of the following circumstances applies to you, you need to send the relevant documents to help us process your application quicker. If more than one of these circumstances applies to you, you only need to send the documents for one of them.

If none of these options apply to you, you may still be eligible, but we will need to assess your situation before we can make a decision. You can complete the online application as normal and we will be in touch.

You are registered as blind or have a severe sight impairment

On the application, you will need to tell us:

which local authority you are registered with

your registration number.

You get the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance

If you get this benefit you will need to submit either:

your original letter of entitlement (if issued in the last 12 months) - the entitlement summary is not sufficient evidence on its own and you must include the first page of your award, or:

your most recent annual up-rating letter, including the first page which must show your current name and address - if you have lost this letter you can contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 121 4600 for a replacement.

If you get this supplement you must submit a copy of your award letter from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) as proof. If you have lost this letter, contact the SPVA on the freephone enquiry number 0808 1914 218 to request a copy.

You've received a lump sum benefit under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (AFRF Compensation) Scheme

Your benefit needs to be within tariff levels 1 - 8 for you to be eligible for a Blue Badge . You must also be certified by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) as having a permanent and substantial disability, which causes an inability to walk or very considerable difficulty walking.

If this applies to you, you must submit a copy of your original letter from the SPVA to confirm your this. If you have lost this letter, contact the SPVA on the freephone enquiry number 0808 1914 218 to request a copy.

You get the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

You need to have a score of 8 points or more under the ‘moving around’ section of the PIP to be eligible for a Blue Badge.

If this applies to you, you must submit a copy of your original letter of entitlement– including the front page and the page showing your score for the ‘moving around’ section.

You will still need to provide a photograph, proof of identity and proof of address and give us as much information as possible about your condition on your application. If you're applying by post, you will need to include a £10 cheque or an email address so that we can contact you to take payment.

Your application will be returned if:

you don't pay enough postage

your documents are not legible and don't meet the standards above

your photos don't meet the standards above - you can still use a digital camera or smartphone, but the quality needs to be sharp.

Apply or renew by post

You can also apply for an organisational Blue Badge (PDF, 161.5 KB) if your organisation has vehicles which transport people who would individually be eligible for Blue Badges. Organisations are currently unable to apply online.

Cost

Please be aware of Blue Badge scams where you may be charged more than £10 for an application. These websites are not associated with the Blue Badge service and the application form supplied by these websites is not accepted by local authorities. For more details please see our trading standards alert.

Payment

If you apply online and include an email address, we will email you to request payment once your badge has been approved. If you don't provide an email address, we will send you a letter instead which will delay your badge being issued.

If we’ve been in touch and you’d like to make a payment, log into our Blue Badge Customer Portal. You’ll need your application reference number to hand, which can be found on the confirmation email you received when you submitted your application.

If you apply by post you can pay by cheque or provide us with an email address to pay by card. We will email you to request payment once your badge has been approved.

If you applied online, check that you received an email confirming that your application was successfully submitted. Make sure you check your email's spam or junk folder.

If you've checked everything and you still haven't had a confirmation email after 24 hours, you can call us on 03000 41 62 62 to check whether or not we've received your application. If we haven't had your application, you will need to apply again.

If you haven't sent the correct documents, we will contact you and your application will be on hold for 28 days to allow you time to send them to us. After 28 days, if we haven't heard from you, your application will be closed.

If it's over 10 weeks since you submitted your application and you haven't heard from us, you can call us on 03000 41 62 62 to check the progress of your application. Please have the applicant's details ready when you call so that our advisors can help you more quickly.

If you have problems filling in the online form you can get help by making an appointment at your local Gateway and someone will go through the online form with you. Alternatively, you can call us on 03000 41 62 62 and someone will go through the online form over the phone with you.

You automatically qualify if:

you receive higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance

or you receive War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement

or you receive Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) award, tariffs 1-8 and have been assessed by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) as having a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty walking

or you are registered as blind under the National Assistance Act 1948 (partially sighted people do not automatically qualify)

you receive 8 points or more under the 'moving around' activity of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

you receive descriptor E of the 'planning and following a journey' activity of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which states "you cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress".

You may qualify if:

you have a child under 3 years old and need to transport bulky medical equipment for urgent treatment, or always be near a vehicle so they can be treated or driven to a place for treatment for a permanent illness

or you drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms and can't work or have considerable difficulty working parking meters

or you have a enduring and substantial disability which affects your mobility and means you have considerable difficulty in walking

or you experience considerable difficulty whilst walking which may include considerable psychological distress

or you are at serious risk of harm when walking or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person.

Telephone assessment

We may contact you by telephone to discuss your application with you. If we are unable to contact you we will write to you and ask you to provide some suitable times for us to contact you.

Face to face assessment

We may ask you to come to an independent assessment if we can't decide based on your application. It is just to assess you for a Blue Badge and is not about your general health. It's free and carried out by a qualified professional.

Hospice patients

If you are receiving treatment from a hospice, they should use their official stamp on the address section of the form so we can prioritise the application.

Faded badge or name change

Cost

Replacements cost £10.

Replacing a badge if you have moved out of county

If a badge holder has relocated to another county, we will still be responsible for the Blue Badge until it expires. Therefore if you need a replacement before it expires, you would need to follow the guidance above. However, once the badge has or is due to expire, you will need to apply for a badge with the new local authority.